Hwang In-beom

Hwang In-beom (born 20 September 1996) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade and the South Korea national team.
Club career
Daejeon Citizen
Hwang signed with Daejeon Citizen in 2015. He scored his first goal in a league match against Pohang Steelers on 30 May and became the youngest scorer in Daejeon history. Daejeon had been relegated to the second division after his first season, but he grew into one of notable young footballers in South Korea.
Hwang joined police football team Asan Mugunghwa to perform alternative service instead of mandatory military service in 2018, but was discharged from the service after winning a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Hwang interested 2. Bundesliga club Hamburger SV after showing positive prospects in Daejeon and national team, but Daejeon sold Hwang to Vancouver Whitecaps FC which offered more transfer fees than Hamburg. On 30 January 2019, Hwang joined Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps as a Young Designated Player on a two-year contract, with club options for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He made his debut for the Whitecaps against Minnesota United on 2 March, and scored his first goal for the side in a 1–0 win over Los Angeles FC on 17 April. In the 30th week of the 2019 season, he was selected for the Team of the Week after providing three assists against LA Galaxy.
Rubin Kazan
On 14 August 2020, Hwang transferred to Russian club Rubin Kazan. He was statistically evaluated as one of playmakers who was good at creating chances in the Russian Premier League until the first half of the 2020–21 season, but suffered coronavirus and heel injury afterward.
On 3 April 2022, Hwang's contract with Rubin was suspended until 30 June 2022 according to special FIFA regulations related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The regulations allow foreign players in Russia to suspend their contracts until the end of the 2021–22 season and sign with a club outside of Russia until that date. Hwang joined FC Seoul on 5 April.
Olympiacos
On 29 July 2022, Hwang joined Super League Greece club Olympiacos. On 18 August 2022, he scored, on his debut, the equaliser in a Europa League playoff fixture away at Apollon Limassol, which finished 1–1. On 10 March 2023, he was named the Super League Greece Player of the Month for February. After the end of the 2022–23 season, he was selected as the best Olympiacos player and the second best Super League Greece player by league fans. However, he was in conflict with the club in summer due to problems related to his contract, and it was possible to become a court fight. Serie A club Atalanta was interested in him at the same time, but its interest was not enough to invest in him.
Red Star Belgrade
On 4 September 2023, Hwang joined Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade on a four-year contract for a club and league-record €5 million fee. He was brought as one of the last newcomers along with Burkinabè centre-back Nasser Djiga and Senegalese winger Cherif Ndiaye in advance of the club's 2023–24 UEFA Champions League campaign.
International career
Hwang played a vital role in leading South Korea to the 2018 Asian Games title. As a reward, he was discharged from Asan Mugunghwa less than halfway through his military service and returned to Daejeon Citizen.
Hwang made his senior international debut in September 2018, and later that year, he scored his first senior international goal in a 2–2 friendly home draw against Panama on 16 October.
In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Hwang showed impressive play and was selected for ESPN's Team of the Tournament. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 2019 EAFF Championship after leading South Korea to the title.
Nicknamed the "Bento's crown prince", Hwang was one of South Korean players whom Paulo Bento trusted most, and he participated in the 2022 FIFA World Cup as expected. He played all four of South Korea's World Cup matches until the round of 16.
Style of play
J.J. Adams of The National Post noted that Hwang "can play centrally or on the wing, but thrives as an attacking mid — a box-to-box No. 8. He’s known for precision passing, aggressive tackling, possession composure and a willingness to take on defenders with the ball at his feet".
Career statistics
Club
International
Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first.
Honours
South Korea U23
Asian Games: 2018
South Korea
EAFF Championship: 2019
Individual
K League 2 Best XI: 2016, 2017, 2018
EAFF Championship Most Valuable Player: 2019
Super League Greece Player of the Month: February 2023
Olympiacos F.C. Player of the Year: 2022–23
Notes
References
External links
Hwang In-beom – National Team Stats at KFA
1996 births
Living people
South Korean men's footballers
Men's association football midfielders
Daejeon Hana Citizen players
K League 1 players
Sportspeople from Daejeon
South Korea men's youth international footballers
South Korea men's under-20 international footballers
South Korea men's under-23 international footballers
South Korea men's international footballers
Footballers at the 2018 Asian Games
Asian Games medalists in football
Asian Games gold medalists for South Korea
Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games
2019 AFC Asian Cup players
Vancouver Whitecaps FC players
FC Rubin Kazan players
FC Seoul players
Olympiacos F.C. players
Red Star Belgrade footballers
Designated Players (MLS)
Major League Soccer players
Russian Premier League players
Super League Greece players
Serbian SuperLiga players
South Korean expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada
Expatriate men's footballers in Russia
Expatriate men's footballers in Greece
Expatriate men's footballers in Serbia
South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Serbia
South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Russia
South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Canada
South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Greece
2022 FIFA World Cup players
In-beom